


The start of a rivalry

by BlackRoseMii



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: I didn't have much to reference so I just wrote what I thought would fit, M/M, basically how everything started
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:08:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21594334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackRoseMii/pseuds/BlackRoseMii
Summary: A small fic about how Raihan and Leon met, about their first match and the start of their rivalry.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 81





	The start of a rivalry

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I'm the first to write a LeoHan fic, but I just had to write this.

The first time he saw him was on TV.

It was a slightly chilly summer evening and despite the nice weather, most people were gathered inside, watching the annual Pokemon tournament with excitement. It was an event everybody in Galar was looking forward to.

Every year, several people would get the rare chance of receiving a letter of endorsement for the tournament. It was a dream every trainer shared. Rising to the top of the region, claiming the title of champion.

Raihan was no different. He grew up in Hammerlocke, the city with the oldest stadium in all Galar. A city deeply rooted into history as well as battles. He grew up with stories of legends and kings, old and new. It was only natural that he would aim to be at the top one day. But he knew that as a child, he would have no chance against seasoned veterans like the gym leaders. He would need years upon years of training.

That's what he thought until he witnessed the birth of a legend on live TV.

A boy of 10 years with purple hair stood in the middle of the stadium. His charizard letting out a triumphant roar while the boy striked a pose, one hand extended into the sky.

He heard about him before, it was announced before each of his battles. His name was Leon and he came from a little village somewhere south.

He was the same age as Raihan and he had just won the most important match of the region.

So if a boy from the middle of nowhere could become the champion, why couldn't he?

That's when the young Raihan decided he would do everything he could to one day claim the same title as the boy he watched.

One year had past when the boy finally received the letter of endorsement from his towns gym leader and was ready to participate in the tournament.

Motostoke wasn't as big as Hammerlocke, but thanks to the up-coming event the streets were filled with tourists and locals alike. Pokemon of various sizes were roaming together with their trainers, some of them even putting on shows. It was a nice view and Raihan couldn't keep himself from snapping pictures.

However, he never forgot his initial goal. As a official challenger, he had to attend the opening ceremony. It was held in Motostokes stadium, where he would get to meet the gym leaders. He didn't care much about them though. All of his thoughts revolved around Leon, the youngest champion of Galar. He was sure he would be able to take the title for himself soon.

As he entered the stadium, his impression of it was rather dissappointing, but nothing he didn't expect. He had known the stadium in his hometown, which was embbed into the giant castle. So the stadium here wasn't as nearly as impressive. He only shrugged it of and went on into the backstage area.

Many challengers were waiting already. They ranged from teens to retired old trainers. With Leons win of last year, the number of children his age had rising considerably. All were wearing the official challenger uniform. Raihan had put it on reluctantly. He didn't like the design of it and he couldn't wait to have a custom uniform once he became the champion.

Everybody was chatting until they heard the announcers voice from the giant TV. From there, they could watch the gym leaders enter the field and being introduced. Soon after, all challengers were asked to enter the field as well.

From the inside the stadium looked similar to the one in Hammerlocke. The ads along the field were slightly different, as well as the color scheme, but the atmosphere, the crowd, they all felt just like the one he always went to with his family. He couldn't help but smile at the cheering.

The crowd didn't knew him yet, but he couldn't wait for them to shout his name once he conquered the champion.

He had seen Leon at his showmatch not too long ago, but it didn't seem like he was here now. Raihan was more than dissappointed. He had hoped to finally see him live rather than on TV.

After everyone was introduced and the challengers were dissmissed, Raihan was ready to move on to Turffield, where his first gym battle would await him. However, he was stopped at the entrance of the the studium by a crowd that had gathered around a certain pair of celebrities. He could make out one of them right away. It was Rose, the chairman of Macro Cosmos and self-declared manager of the champion.

Unconciously the boy took out his Rotom phone to take some photos when the crowd cleared and a familiar purple came into view. He striked his usual pose the fans came to love. He then lowered his arm again and looked up into Raihans direction.

The two boys stared into each others eyes. Clear teal met fiery gold. For a second, it felt like his heart stopped and he forgot to breathe.

But when he realized he really saw him, he flashed his cheekiest, most confident smile. Almost like gritting his teeth at his opponent. His grin was met with an equally confident smile and a nod that only could mean _I'm looking forward to fight against you._

The moment only lasted a second and the crowd obstructed his view again.

That was the first time Leon had met Raihan. Now both of the young trainers knew of each others existance and it would only be a matter of time until they would meet again. This time, on the battlefield.

The boy plopped down on the bed, letting out a tired sigh. He bounced off the soft surface and stretched his aching body. He kept his eyes closed as he spoke.

„Man, route 10 is a nightmare. It's cold and steep and full of ice pokemon.“

Flygon next to him whined softly as he sat down on the floor.

„But hey, at least we got some good training done, right?“

His pokemon squealed happily as he agreed with his trainer.

It wasn't long since he started his journey through Galar after the opening ceremony. The gym challenges were nothing for him. He breezed through them, thanks to his diligent training and strategy. Many had given up at Kabu, the gym leader of Motostoke, but Raihan quickly made a name for himself. People from all cities recognized him and cheered him on. They said he was the most promising trainer this year despite his 11 years. He clearly enjoyed the attention he got.

But among all that attention and excitement, Raihan could only think about his encounter with Leon. It was only a moment when their eyes met and yet there was a mutual understanding of each other.

Both boys were cut from the same cloth. They both had their eyes set on victory and they acknowledged each others strengh. That small moment was enough to spark their determination.

Lazily the boy started checking the news on his phone. One of them caught his eyes.

It was a video of an interview with Leon, so he clicked on it.

The questions were mostly about trivial stuff, nothing Raihan was particularly interested in. But when the reporter asked about his opinions on the new challengers, a smile formed on his face.

„I think they're all promising,“ the boy answered. „But I'm not worried. I'm pretty sure I will win this year, too.“

„What about Raihan, the new challenger from Hammerlocke? He seems to be pretty talented and many believe he will win the championship.“

Leons smile grew a little wider.

„Yeah, he's pretty good. I saw his battles. I'm sure it's going to be a great match, but in the end, I will win.“

His answer made the boy snicker. The current champion was confident and he had every reason to be. But Raihan had dedicated a year of training only to beat him. Neither of the gym leaders was a challenge for him, so he was sure he would overcome Leon as well.

He put away his phone and stood up with a grunt. It was dark outside, but Raihan had no intention of sleeping yet. A little walk around the city wouldn't hurt. After all Wyndon was a lot bigger than Hammerlocke and he didn't have the time (and stamina) to explore it completely. Not after a long day of training in the cold.

And so, he put his sleeping Flygon back into its pokeball and went out.

The night was quite chilly to the point he saw small clouds forming in front of him with every breath. Just like his dragon pokemon, he didn't like the cold, but a bit of walking around should warm him up a little.

Despite the late hours the lights in the shops were still bright and they displayed all sorts of goods, one more expensive than the other. Besides the newest models of the rotomphone, nothing really interested him. His thoughts were still circling around the tournament tomorrow.

And somehow these thoughts brought him right on front of the stadium. It was brightly lit and its flower-like shape made it look quite beautiful. It was definitely rivaling the stadium in his homecity. Though he still prefered the majestic look of a castle over modern architecture.

He walked further towards it when he saw the silhuette of a person standing in front of it. As he got closer, he recognized the person. That purple mane was unmistakably his. With a smirk he stopped next to the boy. He noticed him without turning around.

„It's pretty, isn't it? It took them years to build it.“

„Meh, Hammerlocke's better.“

They looked at each other now, but having a smile on their face. Raihan noticed he was a few inches taller than him, which fueled his pride a little further.

„That old stadium? How could it possibly keep up with the shining symbol of future here?“

„It's packed with Galars whole history. What place would be better to battle in than where it all started?“

The purple-haired boy nodded slightly and shrugged his shoulders.

„Ready for the finals tomorrow?“he said, changing the topic.

„You bet. I can't wait to kick your ass.“

„Oh, really? Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm unbeatable.“

His response made Raihan laugh loudly and he turned towards the other boy, grinning confidentally.

„You think you're unbeatable just because you won last year? What can a guy from the boonies do against someone who's grown up with dragon pokemon, the mightest pokemon of all?“

„I'm not saying it's gonna be easy. I've seen your battles and you defintiely have a lot of talent. It's gonna be a tough battle.“

„Yeah. Just don't make it too easy for me. I want to give the people a show they won't forget.“

Now Leon faced him completely as well and extended a hand towards him.

„But only if you do the same. Raihan.“

The boy took his hand.

„Definitely. Leon.“

The day after and the matches were no problem for the boy. He had fought the gym leaders once before and he beat them again.

After that, he had another night to go over his strategy and take care of his pokemon. He was sure he would be able win his last match as well. But he also knew that it would be his toughest battle yet. After his encounter with Leon he had to make sure to live up to what he said. Despite his confidence he couldn't help but feeling nervous.

When the day finally came and he was waiting in the backstage room, his heart raced and he was so excited, he couldn't sit still. He could hear the cheering of the crowd outside and he would have loved to just run outside and take in the atmosphere of the stadium. To feel all eyes on him and the excitement gripping him like he was on a rollercoaster. During the time of his challenges, he came to love the attention and now it was even better. Just one more battle and he would be the next champion.

He skipped a step when someone finally told him everything was ready and he was allowed to head outside. With each step his grin became wider, his heart racing just a little faster. And soon his rival was in sight, smiling at him confidentally, his cap turned up like a crown and a cape around his shoulders.

Raihan couldn't help but snort at his rivals outfit.

„Trying to look like a real king now, huh? That cape looks aweful.“

„If you win, you'll wear it, too.“

„Well, if it means victory, I wouldn't mind wearing it.“

Both boys took their positions on the battlefield and called out their pokemon.

Claws and fangs clashed as the stadium was filled with a sandstorm. Commands were being shouted from both sides and the crowd went wild with each turn. The fight was fierce to the point even the boys brought the bodies to the limit. They didn't care if an attack hit them as well, they were truly enjoying it. Soon nothing else mattered to them but the battle in front of them. No stadium, no crowd, no live TV. Just them and their pokemon.

Raihans heart never beat so fast and his eyes never shined so brightly. And he was sure Leon felt the same.

One pokemon fell after the other until each had only one pokemon left. Raihans Duraludon and Leons Charizard. Despite his Duraludon being partly steel type, thanks to him also being a dragon, Charizards fire attacks would only deal normal damage. Raihan knew that and he bet on his pokemons strong defense and the sandstorm that slowly reduced his opponents health.

He was sure this would be the end. Only a few moments until Charizard would fall and he would be given the title of champion.

Just a few moments until-

Duraludon lost. It felt like time stopped as he saw his last pokemon fall and being transported into its pokeball automatically. The sand storm drowned out the crowds cheers and was the only thing the boy could hear in that moment. In front of him Charizard roared triumphantly and his trainer behind him yelled out as well. But he couldn't comprehend it.

After training so much for so long, after fighting each and every battle successfully and after bragging to his rival, he lost.

The sandstorm lightened until the bright floodlights of the stadium came into view again. They hurt his eyes and he had to look down.

After the fight he was resting in the backroom, lying down on the benches.

He still couldn't believe what happend. He was so sure he would win against him. He trained so hard for this and still lost. In fact, it was the first time he ever lost to somebody. And it had to be his self-proclaimed rival of all people. On live TV. He didn't want to know what people must have posted about their match, so he kept flipping his phone in his hand.

His friends and family used to say that he pulled funny faces sometimes and that it always brightened their day. He wondered how he looked right now; what face he made. Maybe it would brighten his day as well. So he took a selfie of himself.

He didn't expect to look the happiest right now, but to his surprise, he didn't look defeated at all. There was a little pout on his face, but there was no trace of him being upset. So he had no reason to be depressed about his loss.

He really had fun during that fight and he gave it his all. He had no regrets and for some reason, losing against his rival felt motivating. It wasn't the end of the world. It was a start.

With a smile on his face he got up and headed outside.

As expected, the whole lobby was filled with fans and media. They all wanted to get Leons opinion. When some of the reporters noticed Raihan, they went over to him, asking him for an interview as well. But he didn't let the continue and made his way past the crowd until he was standing in front of the champion. The whole room became quiet.

Raihan grinned and pointed at his rival.

„Next time, Leon. I'll come back and I _will_ kick your ass. Just you wait, that throne will be mine.“

The boy was surprised at first, but then a confident smile formed on his face.

„I can't wait for it.“

The man let himself fall on the bed and sighed. He closed his eyes and put his arm over them. It had been a very long day for him and the afterparty was still going on in the lobby of the hotel. But he was tired and didn't have the stamina to deal with the media right now. Despite being used to it.

Next to him he heard a familiar voice chuckle.

„Even as the former champion you don't have a single minute to breathe.“

„Of course not. I've been a champion for 10 years now, everyone wants to know how I feel about losing.“

„Especially because a kid dethroned you.“

„You know that doesn't matter.“

The man nodded and sat down on the bed as well. He watched his rival for a while before he continued.

„So? How does it feel?“

Leon let out a small laugh.

„Kinda...freeing.“

His voice sounded tired, yet also satisfied. It was calm and deep, a sound Raihan loved to hear. That's when he knew the man was honest. It wasn't an answer he'd give the media. No half-truth to cover up his insecurities and feelings, just to please his fans.

In times like those the former champion could only be honest around him. Many years ago their relationship started as rivals and over the years they grew closer and became friends. Besides their families, they could only talk to each other when they were feeling down. They had shared many secrets and they understood each others worries well.

That was also the reason why they fell in love with each other.

Raihan watched the man for a little while when the latter put down his arm to look back.

„What?“ he laughed.

„Nothing. You just look so peaceful right now. Like a weight lifted off you.“

„The title of champion is a pretty heavy weight after all. And I'm glad I could finally pass it on. Though I do feel sorry for the kid. But I'm sure she's up to it.“

„If you wanted to give away the title, you could just ask me. I would have gladly taken it.“

„You've tried for 10 years.“

„And I would try for another 10.“

„You know you could easily become a champion of another region, right?“

„Do you want me gone?“

Realizing what the man just said Leon quickly sat up.

„No!“

Raihan couldn't contain his laughter anymore. It was just too fun teasing him. He earned a pout and a jab at his arm from his friend. As a response, the black-haired man grapped his shoulders and pinned him against the bad, hovering over him.

„You know I don't want to win against anyone else. And it doesn't matter if you're the champion or a normal trainer. I don't care about anyone else.“

His confession made Leon smile and he lifted his hand to his cheek. Raihan closed his eyes, enjoying the touch before he leaned down and kissed his boyfriend. They stayed like this for a while and tuned out the rest of the world.

Once they parted again, Raihan spoke softly.

„Wanna make it official? You know, us being together?“

The former champion smiled and nodded.

„Yeah.“


End file.
